The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of Daniel Ojukwu, a journalist with the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), at the Kuje Correctional Centre over investigative reports concerning Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SSAP-SDGs).
The court made the order on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, after Ojukwu pleaded not guilty to a 12-count charge bordering on alleged cyberstalking and criminal defamation arising from reports published on FIJ’s website between 2023 and 2024.
The journalist was ordered to remain in custody pending the hearing of his bail application, which the court adjourned until December 1, 2026.
The development comes more than two years after Ojukwu was arrested and detained by officers of the Nigeria Police Force over the same investigative publications concerning the activities and expenditure of the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs).
At Tuesday’s proceedings, the prosecution applied for Ojukwu’s remand after the charges were read to him and he entered a plea of not guilty.
However, his defence counsel drew the court’s attention to a pending bail application and urged the judge to consider it.
The presiding judge declined to hear the application, explaining that it had been filed only on Monday and was not yet ripe for hearing.
The defence subsequently requested that Ojukwu be allowed to continue enjoying the administrative bail earlier granted to him by the police, arguing that he had complied with its conditions and had not breached any of them.
The court rejected the request, observing that the charge had been served on the defendant long before the bail application was filed.
Consequently, the judge ordered Ojukwu’s remand at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing and determination of his bail application.
During the proceedings, the prosecution also informed the court that Fisayo Soyombo, founder of FIJ and the second defendant named in the charge, was at large.
The prosecution consequently applied for a bench warrant to compel Soyombo’s arrest and appearance before the court.
However, the judge refused the application, holding that Soyombo had never been brought before the court and that a bench warrant could not be issued in the circumstances to compel his appearance.
Kunle Lawal, Tolulope Osho, Grace Baiyeshea and Marvelous Orji appeared for the prosecution, while Atanda Kayode, Ayo Oluseye, Olaoluwa Ariyo and M.B.I. Amosun represented Ojukwu.
The prosecution’s 12-count charge, dated September 19, 2024, accuses Ojukwu and Soyombo of offences bordering on cyberstalking and criminal defamation under the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015, as amended in 2024, and the Criminal Code Act.
According to the charge sheet, the prosecution alleged that publications made by the defendants exposed Orelope-Adefulire to fear of death, violence or bodily harm.
The allegations arose from investigative reports published by FIJ questioning the expenditure and execution of projects undertaken by the OSSAP-SDGs office.
Among the transactions questioned were expenditures reportedly amounting to ₦147.5 million on the construction of classrooms and a skills acquisition centre at Ajeromi Primary School in Lagos.
One of the publications, dated November 7, 2023, was titled “Special Report: 2 Weeks Before End of Buhari’s Tenure, Special Assistant, Adefulire Paid a Restaurant N147.1m to Build Classrooms in Lagos. A Lot Was Amiss.”
The report questioned the award and execution of the classroom construction project, including the payment made to a restaurant for the work.
FIJ had stated that its visit to Ajeromi Primary School in October 2023 revealed a dilapidated and understaffed facility, with no visible evidence of the reported construction work.
The investigative organisation also reported that a mosque stood on the site where the school was expected to be.
Another report, published on December 3, 2023, was titled “How Orelope Adefulire’s OSSAP-SDGs Paid N47.5m for Shady Contract on Amosun’s Request.”
The charge sheet also referenced a November 9, 2023, publication titled “Flashback: How EFCC Made Orelope-Adefulire’s SDGs Forfeit N241m Instead of Billions.”
A fourth report, published on January 21, 2024, was titled “One Week After OSSAP-SDGs Built Classroom Blocks in Amosun’s District, Solar Panels Stop Working.”
In the publications, FIJ questioned the expenditure, contract execution and delivery of projects funded by the presidential aide’s office, including classroom blocks, a skills acquisition centre and solar power installations.
The investigative reports subsequently became the subject of a police investigation that led to Ojukwu’s arrest on May 1, 2024.
The journalist was arrested at Isheri-Olofin, Lagos, by officers of the Intelligence Response Team of the Nigeria Police Force.
He was initially taken to the State Criminal Investigation Department at Panti, Lagos, before being transferred to Abuja four days later.
In Abuja, Ojukwu was detained at the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrime Centre (NPF-NCCC) and subsequently moved to the detention facility of the Force Criminal Investigation Department in Area 10.
His detention generated public criticism and calls for his release from human rights organisations and other concerned groups.
He was eventually released on May 10, 2024, following public outcry over his arrest and detention.
However, the police reportedly retained his international passport over concerns that he might leave the country.
The journalist was also required to report repeatedly to the NPF-NCCC in connection with the investigation.
More than two years after that initial arrest, the matter has now resulted in formal criminal proceedings before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Although Ojukwu had previously been released on administrative bail and his lawyers maintained that he complied with its conditions, the court declined to continue that arrangement following his arraignment.
The court’s refusal to hear his bail application immediately was based on its finding that the application, filed the previous day, was not yet ripe for hearing. The court has not determined the substantive bail application.
Ojukwu has denied the allegations by pleading not guilty to the charges, while the prosecution is expected to establish its case in accordance with the law.
The case has been adjourned until December 1, 2026, for the hearing of the journalist’s bail application.
Post Title: “A Lot Was Amiss” — Court Remands FIJ Journalist Ojukwu In Kuje Over Reports Questioning Presidential Aide Orelope-Adefulire’s Contracts By Naijaonpoint.